


seeker of souls, taker of heads

by blastellanos



Series: lateralus [2]
Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: M/M, supernatural themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 05:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14709815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blastellanos/pseuds/blastellanos
Summary: James is a protector, by nature. Whenever he had his readings, The Emperor always came up. He knows it’s in his soul and in his blood, and deep into his magic.





	seeker of souls, taker of heads

**Author's Note:**

  * For [badritual](https://archiveofourown.org/users/badritual/gifts).



James has to keep his secret. The secret he can’t let go of, that settles under his ribcage, imprisoned as it should be. This, James knows, is dangerous. It’s bad. A secret that could get José in trouble too. Which isn’t the intention, it wasn’t ever the intention but the visions in his dreams get stronger and all he can do is be prepared. 

James is a protector, by nature. Whenever he had his readings,  _The Emperor_  always came up. He knows it’s in his soul and in his blood, and deep into his magic. 

These things he knows as a truth. 

Other familiars probably wouldn’t give up their ability to find a new bond if something happened to the old– but James isn’t other familiars. If José is in danger, then giving up an ability to find someone new to protect him was a no brainer. 

José was his in a way Hernán had never been. Which – it’s unfair to Hernán to think that, but it’s also an undeniable truth.

*

There’s a black and white tuxedo looking maine coone, with an overactive tail, and glittering green eyes with crescent moons as irises. Alex’s girls call him Captain Fluffy, but James knows him by his true name. 

Xbalanque is one of the old Gods, who cavort in modern forms to keep themselves alive through other means and ways of love besides worship. James knows so many of the old gods still roam the Earth as beloved pets, as revered figures. 

(Some so famous it’s a surprise they’re never caught– especially the flagrant ones, like Mars who still has his name  _as_  his name, billed every night for his amazing musical talent. But…) 

Xbalanque isn’t a familiar, per se, but the fact that some of the other witches practice old religions, scraped together from ancient writings, makes some of those gods drawn. Alex is no exception and while ancient Mayan religious practices can be stomach churning for some– James has a need. 

There’s nothing on Earth more important to James than José and they’re in Arizona anyways and this is the perfect time, the perfect moment. Alex drinks tea in a garden in the desert while Xbalanque suns himself and James sits stiffly, unsure of this being the way to go. 

Alex, considering. Xbalanque, waiting. 

“Okay.” Alex says, finally, after a time. “At midnight, it’s a new moon tonight, the perfect time. You know what to bring.” 

James nods. 

“And you can’t get squeamish, once we start it’s–” 

“I know.” James interrupts and thinks about cranberry red blood between his fingers and staining his hands, forever and ever. 

But it’s for José.

*

José is too flagrant with his magic. Under nothing but blue sky and the sun shining high on a perfect day, the dark blue nearly blends into the backdrop, as he flits and nearly dances around the field, weaving a spell as effortless as he moves. 

James is looking to find someone, to pick someone out– determine the magic energies as they ebb and flow and overlap, everyone just there and out and their magic on display for someone like James. 

James– well, he’s a familiar, but human familiars are illegal for a reason. He escaped the last purge and keeps himself private. But he has to think that someone knows. Someone had gotten rid of Hernán and now were attempting to do the same to José. 

But it happens before he and Alex have a chance to do their ritual– the portal opens in the middle of the field and swallows José up, leaving a hole at second and a wild clamoring to begin. 

Something that shouldn’t have happened. That couldn’t be allowed. 

José disappears on a Tuesday afternoon, in front of a huge crowd, and the trail goes dead immediately from the magic portal, which disappears so quickly there’s no way to get a trace. 

Alex and Xbalanque meet him at the stadium gate, along with one of the players from the game– dark hair and dark eyes, still wearing #44 and his name stretched across his back. 

“We’re gonna find him.” Alex promises. 

Of this, James has no doubt, and then there’ll be the devil to pay. 

The magic runs darken in his mind, orange fuzzing into an angry, bloody red. 

*

_i know your secret_

It flashes in James’s mind in orange writing almost near his own color. 

 _i know your secret and now your bonded is going to pay_. 

James feels his anger grow and grow, until he can taste it like ash on his tongue. He can’t  _feel_  José anymore, like normal, but the bond is still active, curled around his heart like a warm blanket. 

But James feels his own internal shackles coming unchained. 

See– there’s a reason James knows, what type of person he is by nature, how he knows Xbalanque, and how he knows about the Gods amongst Men. 

He will find those responsible and they will learn, too. 

 _neit–_  flashes in his head – _come find us, see if you can save your mortal lover._

The orange– the subdued color of his runes, so complimentary to José’s own deepens. Darkens to red, licked with fire like the God of War. 

He has awakened. 


End file.
